{"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"u28R38WdMo","rid":"R7EKS5F","offerId":"OF3HQTHR122A","offerTemplateId":"OTQ347EHGCHM"}}
Trending:

‘We’re absolutely still in business’: sale secures future of major equestrian brands

Eleanor Jones Eleanor Jones

    • Leading equestrian brands Harry Dabbs, Jeffries Saddlery, NuuMed and Thermatex are “absolutely still in business”, four months after they went into administration.

    H&H reported last autumn that equestrian manufacturer Vale Brothers had filed for administration. The company has since been bought, under group name Jeffries Lifestyle Ltd, by Baaj Capital.

    Harry Dabbs and Jeffries Saddlery held an open day on 27 February, their first since the sale, at which experienced and new saddle-fitters visited the Walsall factory to get insight into the manufacturing process.

    “Hosting an open day was a real statement for us to say, ‘we are absolutely still in business’,” said Katie Burke, senior marketing executive for the group.

    H&H reported last autumn that Vale Brothers managing director Peter Wilkes hoped a “significant” number of the 80 jobs would be protected; Ms Burke told H&H all the equestrian jobs have been saved.

    “We would like to reassure our loyal customers that the future of our brands has been secured and we are incredibly grateful to be in a position where we can start to look with optimism to what the future holds,” she said.

    She added: “We have an incredible workshop facility, which also boasts its own in-house tree shop, enabling us to produce our own saddles from start to finish. Visitors were able to meet our talented team of saddlers and see first-hand the craftsmanship that goes into making every single saddle we produce right here in the UK.”

    You might also be interested in:

    Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

    Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout major shows like London International and more with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

    Eleanor Jones
    Eleanor Jones

    H&H news editor
    Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
    Eleanor Jones

    You may like...